The present invention relates to a switch, and particularly relates to a system switch in which a group of switches with a large number of functions are systematized compactly.
Recently, with the advance of making information, it is a tendency to mount a large number of information apparatus in one system. For example, with respect to a system of a car, a car has been mounted with a large number of apparatuses such as an air conditioner, a navigation system, an audio system, a traffic information system. At present, a display system and an operation system are provided in every apparatus. Therefore, switches are provided correspondingly to respective functions for switching these apparatuses, for controlling and tuning the switched apparatuses, and so on.
Function display is provided for every switch for displaying the function of the switch. FIG. 8 shows a conventional human interface. In an information apparatus A, each of information 1, information 2 and information 3 has a display function and a switch function exclusively for the information apparatus A, and a user operates the information apparatus A in view of these display function and switch function so as to obtain any one of information 1, information 2 and information 3. In the same manner, in an information apparatus B, information 4, information 5 and information 6 are obtained by use of a display function and a switch function provided in each of the information 4, information 5 and information 6 exclusively for the information apparatus B.
However, when various information are used in the future, it becomes more difficult from the viewpoint of not only space but also easiness to use, to allocate a switch to information or information apparatus one by one. In addition, taking option into consideration, it is necessary to change the operation system in accordance with the option, and hence the system lacks generality. Accordingly, there is a fear that the cost increases. In addition, at present, the function of information to be taken up is often displayed on a switch for taking the information up. Accordingly, it may be difficult to operate the switch if the switch is provided in the position where a driver can easily see the display of the switch, while it may be difficult to see the display of the switch if the switch is provided in the position where a driver can easily operate the switch.
Thus, as the number of apparatuses mounted on a car increases, the number of switches increases more than the increasing number of the apparatus. Therefore, there arise various problems such as increase of a space for switches, deterioration of performance in operating switches, difficulty in adding and changing switches, and so on. For example, when four apparatus of an air conditioner system, a navigation system, an audio system, and an information system (VICS; Vehicle Information and Communication System) are mounted on a car, middle- and low-ranking functions for controlling and tuning the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 are required in each apparatus. Then, according to simple calculation, required are large number of switches, that is, 64 switches in total, including four switches for switching these apparatus (hereinafter, this type of switch will be referred to as xe2x80x9cmode switchxe2x80x9d), 8 4=32 apparatus tuning switches C as low-ranking switches of the respective apparatus, and further 4 3+16 (corresponding to low-ranking switches of the audio system)=28 apparatus tuning switches xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d as low-ranking switches of a tuning switch xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d. In addition, as mentioned above, it is not easy to simultaneously realize two contradictory requests that the switches are provided within a driving field of a driver in order to make it easy for the driver to see the display of the switch and the switches are disposed near a hand of the driver in order to make it easy for the driver to operate the switch.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve such problems.
In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a system switch comprises: an operation switch constituted by a mode switch and low-ranking switches of the mode switch; a display means; and a control unit; wherein the control unit makes the display means display the operation switch, interprets the function of the operation switch at that time, and outputs a control signal for executing the function of the operation switch at that time when the operation switch is operated.
Preferably, the operation switch includes a joy stick, and the mode switch is realized by the joy stick.
Preferably, other switches are disposed in a region where fingers can touch the switches when a hand is put on the joy stick. The joy stick is shaped like a flat disc, and designed to be able to rotate around a central axis of the disc and inclined forward/backward and right/left so that the joy stick has a switch mechanism corresponding to the rotation and inclination.
Preferably, a positioning member extends to be close to the joy stick from the rear of the joy stick so as to cover the upper surface of the joy stick partially.
Preferably, the control unit also makes the display means display the function of the operation switch at that time when the operation switch is made to be displayed.